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Idea Grove’s web design team operates on a simple principle: If visitors don’t believe you, nothing else matters. It’s called “trust-centered web design” -- and it has sparked the practice’s rapid development through hiring, process development and with each new website the agency brings to life for its B2B technology clients.
“When most web design agencies pitch their services, they focus on one of two things,” said Megan Chesterton, senior director of creative and marketing services for Idea Grove. “Some firms try to wow clients with visually acrobatic designs that have a similar appeal to a fireworks display. Boom. Bang. Pop. Other agencies talk about transactional lead generation. They seem to think telling your company's story is a simple arithmetic equation. Input content, output sales."
Chesterton continued, “We don’t operate that way. Our team’s first priority is to understand what will make your visitors trust you and then to achieve that. Does your design firm truly understand your business, your product, your customers? Does your design firm understand the trust signals that make a visitor want to learn more about you? If not, the visual pyrotechnics and lead-gen formulas mean nothing.”
Idea Grove’s focus on trust is built into its DNA as an agency with roots in public relations and thought leadership marketing. This strategic foundation was made for a moment when consumer skepticism is at an all-time high and trust is in short supply. These changes have led to a growing demand for Idea Grove’s web design services over the past year and a ranking as one of DesignRush's top web design agencies.
To accommodate this growth, Idea Grove recently brought on Cecil Cross as associate creative director. Cross is a 20-year veteran of the creative industry with experience at media and technology companies including the telecom leader Mitel. Reporting to Chesterton, Cross leads Idea Grove’s visual brand strategy and digital asset creation, including websites, creative marketing assets, infographics, case studies, social branding and interactive online experiences.
“I was attracted to Idea Grove because I believe in the agency’s approach,” Cross said. “Trust-centered design can humanize a company’s website, which resonates with customers in establishing meaningful connections with a brand. Visitors may come to the website first for information -- but they will stay, and return, for these connections.”
Idea Grove recently completed website redesigns using this approach for the following clients:
- Avantra: When Avantra (formerly Syslink Xandria) approached Idea Grove, they were ready for a brand and name overhaul that clearly communicated its product and personality. Idea Grove carefully curated a new name, logo, and branding and worked closely with leadership to refresh Avantra’s messaging to highlight its offering. The result was a redesigned site that positioned Avantra as a trusted leader in AIOps and automation.
- Collective54: This membership-only community serving leaders of professional services organizations sought a website that could scale alongside its business and cement it as a leader in professional networking. Collective54 tapped Idea Grove to humanize its online presence and increase its visibility, making its mission clear and communicating relevant information prospective members would want to know before signing up. Idea Grove engineered the site from the ground up and continuously iterated to align with the client’s organic growth story.
- G4 Logistics: A full-service logistics company, G4 Logistics looked to Idea Grove to fully reimagine its outdated website with a fresh coat of paint. The Idea Grove team created a site that not only brought authority to the G4 brand, but gave the client a framework to continue iterating on the site for ongoing optimization, even after the project wrapped. G4 was able to communicate its authority and expertise, while holding the keys to update and make changes as needed.
- ReadyComm: A midsize company that had begun to earn a Fortune 500 clientele, ReadyComm sought a new web presence that would establish its credibility with global companies in need of its webcasting services. Idea Grove updated the ReadyComm brand and honed its story to deliver on this objective before rolling it out across the company’s social channels. After infusing unity across its digital properties, Idea Grove then helped ReadyComm drive additional site traffic through targeted social media ads on its platforms.
In addition to the work done on behalf of clients, the creative team recently completed a redesign of Idea Grove’s own website. The new design puts customer stories and agency work samples at the forefront and allows Idea Grove’s clients to speak for and validate the agency’s work and expertise. The new site also features a personal webpage for every employee, where team members can describe their roles, update HubSpot certifications and other accomplishments, and otherwise build direct relationships with website visitors.
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